Agreement between frontal and occipital regional cerebral oxygen saturation in infants during surgery and general anesthesia an observational study

Background: Advances in perioperative pediatric care have resulted in an increased number of procedures requiring anesthesia. During anesthesia and surgery, the patient is subjected to factors that affect the circulatory homeostasis, which can influence oxygenation of the brain. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is an easy applicable noninvasive method for monitoring of regional tissue oxygenation (rScO₂%). Alternate placements for NIRS have been investigated; however, no alternative cranial placements have been explored. Aim: To evaluate the agreement between frontal and occipital recordings of rScO₂% in infants using INVOSTM during surgery and general anesthesia. Method: A standard frontal monitoring of rScO₂% with NIRS was compared with occipital rScO₂% measurements in fifteen children at an age